This week, two worker-owners from the game development cooperative Soft Chaos talk about why they chose the co-op model, and share some insight into how their rather unique business operates - including regular group therapy for the owners! Â
Then, Michael Schuman lays out the case for localism as framework for social change, which he describes as "a commitment to place, supported by the decentralization of power, action, and our economies." Schuman lays out the principles of localism, addresses concerns with decentralization, and provides some helpful entry points for those wanting to engage with localist solutions.Â
All About the Soft Chaos Cooperative
by Indie Game Academy
In this episode, Squinky and Jess from Soft Chaos dive into the world of worker co-ops and how collective ownership fuels their bold, genre-defying work. Get a behind-the-scenes look at how they create deeply personal, experimental games and interactive art that push the boundaries of play.
A Localism Manifesto
by Michael Schuman
Localists insist that power be held primarily at the local level, with states holding less power, countries less still, and global institutions the least amount. By power, we mean the power collectively to tax, regulate, and administer projects. Political scientists call this structure subsidiarity. The logic of localism suggests that local governments in most countries should have significantly stronger powers of taxation, regulation, and spending than they have today.
Leadership and Worker Ownership: A Conversation with John Abrams
Nonprofit Quarterly — "I see this book as an antidote to the cruelty-rather-than-kindness mentality. I feel like our society has been bedeviled with that kind of thinking at different times, but better hearts and minds have always prevailed. That will happen this time. But it is a question about how long that takes, how much damage is done, and how much suffering happens."...
A Simple Cooperative Farm Model & a Short History of Modern Co-ops
The Collaborative Farming Podcast — I thought I’d seize this opportunity to bring back an old episode, the very FIRST episode of collaborative farm, actually, a conversation I had with Chris bonder of Close to Home Organics and Glen Valley Farm...Chris is not only stellar farmer and a part of a cooperative farm framework, he’s extremely well versed in the history of modern farm cooperatives...
Saving jobs, promoting democracy: worker co-operatives
Academia.edu — This article...examines the development of worker-owned co-ops in Ireland north and south and the obstacles that need to be overcome to make these a more feasible and common form of economic ownership. Reflecting on the current debate in Ireland it argues such co-ops cannot work effectively without a secure legal framework governing their status and softer supports including entrepreneurship development, leadership training, market research, accessing loan finance and grant aid, inter-cooperative networking and federation building...
Worker Direction, Co-ops, and Fighting Poverty
Breadchain (YouTube) — Join us for this Beanchain chat where we discuss our worker-directed model, cooperative principles, and fighting poverty in our communities...
Octavia Butler Offers a Roadmap for Survival In This Documentary
KQED — In 2023, following in Olamina’s footsteps in Parable of the Sower, People’s Kitchen Collective set out on a journey by foot and bike to visit intentional communities developing alternative social structures, from Los Angeles to Mendocino County. They broke bread with nearly a dozen different collectives of Black and brown artists, farmers, activists and chefs, and learned about how they care for one another and the people around them...
Registration Open for MadWorC's 2025 Regional Rendevouz
MadWorC — We will begin at 9:30am on both days. • There is an optional co-op tour at 8:30am. You can select this when you register. Each morning, we will have a brief session to start the day as a group. • At the end of the day, we will come together as a full group for activities, discussion, and planning next steps for our regional collaborations...
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